Shoelace



July 26, 1949.

H- J. STAPLETON SHOE-LACE Filed June 3, 1944 INVENTOR. #ff/55W v/5222/04 fr0/v #fram/H5,

y This invention relates laces'.

Patented July 26, 1949 Herbert J. Stapleton, Kalamazoo, Michi assigner'of one-half te Viola D. Stapleton,- Kalamazoo,

Mich.

Application June 3, 1942i, Seri'aIN. 538,598'

The main objects of this invention are: First, to provide a shoe lacewhich may be easily tied and at the same time does not become nntied ifthe knot is formed with reasonable care. Y

Second, to provide a shoe lace which does not slip whentied and whichmay be tied in the usual manner.

" Third, to provide a shoe lace embodyingthese val'ivantages which isattractive and distinctive in appearance and capable of withstandingreiatlvely heavy stresses;

- Objects pertaining to details and economies of the invention willdefinitely appear from the description to follow. The invention is denedin the claims.

It is a matter of common experience that shoe laces of standard typesare likely to become untied, even when great care is exercised in tyingthe same. This is particularhr true with laces of childrens shoes; muchtime is spent in retying and falls frequently result from a shoe lace becoming untied. Shoe laces embodying this Yinvention are unlikely tobecome untied if fairly reasonable care is taken in tying the same en'.if the knot is drawn up reasonably tight. I am aware that attempts havebeen made to provide laces intended to remain tied, but so far as I amaware the results aimed at have not been effectively attained and thelaces are unattractive in appearance.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a fragmentary view of a shoelace embodying my invention, partially in side elevation, partially inedge elevation and partially in longitudinal section, certain portionsbeing shown conventionally.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawingcomprises a braided flat tape-like body member I of substantial Widthand of relatively soft and yielding textile material. This may be of theWell-known braided tubular form. The lace tips 2 which are preferablyduplicates, are formed of metal retainingly clamped upon the ends of thebody portion. With this body portion I associate a strand 3, preferablybraided textile of round section and relatively unyielding, that is,unyieldlng as compared to the body portion. This strand 3 is toimprovements in shoe 5 Claims. (Ch 24e-143) roved or Woven back andforth through the body l portion at spaced intervals 4, providingalternately disposed reaches 5 on the sides of the body portionconstituting raised ribs. This strand is Areaches d being of substantiallength, thereby providing a longitudinai series of' raised ribs andspacesl E between the The ends or the strand are elampingly retained orsecured by mains of the lace tips 2i, the ends being secured with thereaches of the strand drawn tight against-'the sidesof the body portion.The length 'of the reaches may be very considerably varied 'butpreferably they are of substantial length or substantially spaced sdthat the body portion of thev race may be drawn into the spaces betweenthe raised rib portions when tlieknot is` formed, thereby effectivelypreventing slipping.

The strand is preferably formed so' that, in- Herent, it is lessyieldal'ole-v than the body portion of thel'aee, that is, it is morefirmlyor tightly braided than the body portionof the lace, and I Oalsopreferably impregnato the strand with some materiali which tends tostirfen the same'v or render it less yielding.. material isx preferablyof a character which substantially increases the irrational quality' orAresistance oi' the strand. Certain latex and resin preparations orcompositions rnay be used forl this purpose with satisfactory-remis.' s

While the strand (t is preferably of textile material and' of roundsection. it may be' of other sectionand may be formed of materials other'than textiles; for example, leather or :certain plastics. Lacesembodying myinvention are not only eecti-Ve inl preventing the rmtyi'neor slipping of the knot but they also minimize slipping ln the lacingeyes and thus reduce strain on the knot and the tendency to loosen theknot. In addition to these advantages, the laces are attractive anddistinctive in appearance. I have not attempted to illustrate ordescribe various embodiments or adaptations which I contemplate, as itis believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art toadapt or practice my invention as may be desired for the particular typeor quality 0I lace.

Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Paten is:

1. A shoe lace comprising a. braided flat relatively wide and relativelyyieldable body member, a braided round relatively unyieldable strandwoven back and forth centrally through said body member, the reaches ofsaid strand being of substantial length and providing longitudinallyspaced raised alternately disposed ribs on the sides of the body member,and tips clampingly engaging the ends of said body member and saidpreferably located centrally as illustrated, the strand with the reachesof the strand pulled tying knot of the lace and to conform to theeyelets of a shoe, said ribs constituting bendable anti-slipping meanswithin the tying knot.

2. A shoe lace comprising-a fiat. relatively Wide body portion, arelatively narrow strand Woven back and forth centrally through saidbodypor-` tion, the reaches of said strand constituting raised portionsdisposed in spaced alternating relation on the sides of the bodyportion, and tips retainingly engaging the ends of said body portion andsaidstrand with the reaches of the strand pulled against the sides ofthe body portion, said strand as a continuous integral-like, memberbeing woven back and forth through said bodyportion from its retainingengagementl with one tip to its retaining engagement with the other tip,said strand being of flexible textile-like material .to facilitatetyingthe lace into a knot and passage body portion, and a relativelynarrow strand associated with said body portion to providelongitudinally spaced raised portions on at least one side thereofextending along the length of the body portion throughout the knot tyingend portions thereof, the ends of said strand being retainingly securedto said body portion, said strand 'being .of relativelyflexible'material. throughout the length thereof to facilitate tying thelace into a knot and passage of the lace through shoe eyelets, saidraised portions being bendable to conform to the bends in the tying knotof the lace andV toconform to the eyelets of a shoe, said of the samethrough a shoe eyelet, said raised 3. A shoe lace comprising arelatively wide -v body portion, a strand roved back and forth throughsaid body portion providing alternating raised portions on the sides ofthe body portion extending along the length of the body portionthroughout the knot tying end portions thereof, and tips retaininglyengaging the ends of said body portion and also said strand, said strandbeing of relatively exible material throughout the length thereof tofacilitate tying the lace into a knot and passage of the la'ce throughshoe eyelets, said raised portions being bendable to` conform to thebends in the tying knot of the lace and to conform to the eyelets of ashoe, said raised portions constituting bendableanti-slipping meanswithin the tying knot. v

4. A shoe lace comprising a relatively wide alsraised portionsconstituting bendable anti-slipping means within the tying knot.

5. A shoe lace comprising a tape-like body portion, and a relativelynarrow strand associated with said body portion to providelongitudinally spaced raised portions on at least one side thereofextending along the length of the body portion throughout the knot tyingend portions thereof, said strand being impregnated to render the samesubstantially unyielding as compared to said body portion and tosubstantially add to the frictional resistance thereof, the ends ofvsaid strand being retainingly secured to said body portion, said strandbeing of relatively flexible material throughout the length thereof tofacilitate tying the lace into a knot and passage of the lace throughshoe eyelets, said raised portions being bendable to con-form to thebends in the tying knot of the lace and to conform to the eyelets of ashoe, said raised portions constituting bendable anti-slipping meanswithin the tying knot.

. HERBERT J. STAPLETON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

